प्रश्नः, प्रश्न, 'கேள்வி , ചോദ്യം (chodyam), 'Prashna' -ప్రశ్న, প্রশ্ন, प्रश्नः, प्रश्न,ಪ್ರಶ್ನೆ(Praśne), પ્રશ્ન, سوال (sawal) - just a question!
If questions are sharp arrows or the powerful Astras let loose from the quiver, I am the archer stringing them and shooting them with glee one by one on those facing them in an examination!
Yes, as a teacher, I frame my questions with a lot of enthusiasm and with certain objectives , but I am not responsible for the metaphor ascribed to me! I don't think of myself as a warrior to fight and vanquish my enemies.
However, there is this interesting yet an embarrassing depiction of me that used to circulate among the students who had to face my question paper. It was sometimes deliberately picturised in this way by my colleagues; a device to make the students get serious and study! (It appeared so!). I used to feel the side of my head to see if I had grown horns and surreptitiously move my tongue within my mouth to feel if any tooth has grown longer! For, in the (supposedly) playful comments of my colleagues, in their tone and the words left unsaid, I could see myself as one asura/monster!
Ah... but this brought more questions - to eliminate doubts/ to seek clarity/to solve a problem/to 'agree to disagree' with clarity and to show (humbly, of course) that I have some knowledge on the subject (of how to frame assessment and evaluation questions)!
Am I not challenging the young minds to think, analyse and look at a problem/issue from different angles? My questions, I think, don't burden the students to practice cramming multitude of facts in their memory bank!
I am not throwing open the platform for a debate about that! (I am afraid there may be many students and fellow teachers waiting there to pounce on me!! Why take an unnecessary risk!)
"Why is that squirrel squeaking so urgently?
How will the clear blue sky appear now to someone far away across the ocean?
Why do these two men fight in the street?
What does that monkey feel when that man forces him to do back flips and somersaults innumerable times?"
These and countless other questions used to crowd my brain and clamour for my attention when I was a young girl.
I have moved through different places, different time and context and lived different experiences but the questions continue- different ones though!
So, when I have to put together questions to continuously assess and evaluate the learning levels and of course to reflect on my teaching, I was guided by intuition and my understanding of where I expect students to be at the end of this teaching.
I sincerely continue this pattern with the 'teachers-to-be' whom I train. Their reaction/response? " They have never come across such questions until now in their life!!" They need extra time to read and comprehend the questions."
But I see a sharpness in their expression and a bright excited look in their eyes that tell me that they love the challenge, rather their brain cells are charged with a new surge of energy!
What do you think? Do I hear a question from you?
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